Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

HAVE A QUESTION?
WE GET THAT FROM TIME TO TIME.

Contact Us:

(800) 211-2105

Fax: 1-415-883-7020

6am-11:59pm PST Monday-Thursday

6am-5pm PST Friday,

5pm-11:59pm PST Sunday

We've compiled a list of commonly asked questions for your convenience. If you are unable to find the answer to your question, please contact us for further assistance. It's just one more way Zenni makes it easy to get eyeglasses you'll love.

FRAME FIT

It's easy! You can virtually try on a pair of glasses, to see how they fit and how they will look on you, by using Zenni Frame FitTM. Just take a digital picture and save it to your computer. Then go to Zenni Frame FitTM, click Upload and load your photo into the Frame Fit. Now you're ready to try on frames and see who you want to be today!

We encourage you to upload your photo, but it's not required. However, using a photo of yourself will be a much better guide to how the glasses will look on your face than using a photo of a model.

Here's how to do it:

Right above the "filmstrip" row of the small pictures of the Zenni Frame FitTM models, on the lower right-hand corner of the enlarged picture of the model, is the option to UPLOAD your photo. You will want to make sure that your photo is similar to the photos of our models - with your face looking straight ahead and filling the picture frame, with your pupils clearly visible.

Your pupils must be clearly visible in your photo for the photo to work with Zenni Frame FitTM. Therefore, make sure that your photo shows your eyes open widely enough for your pupils to appear. Stand facing a bright light. This will narrow your pupils and shine more light on them, so your pupils can be clearly seen.

FRAMES

The first numbers printed on the inside of a temple arm (the part that goes behind your ear) on a frame will just be the manufacturer's model or stock numbers. But farther down the temple arm, there may be important numbers that refer to the dimensions of a frame. These numbers would be the measurement, in millimeters, of the lens width, bridge, and temple arm length.

That's a decision that only you can make, but we can help! If you want a super light frame, go with one that's 15 grams or lower. Titanium frames are generally very light. If you want a durable frame, go with stainless steel or memory titanium. If you are allergic to metals, stay away from metal alloy and memory titanium frames, both of which use nickel, an allergen. Stick with frames made of hypoallergenic materials, such as stainless steel or titanium.

If you like plastic frames, choose an acetate frame, because acetate is cellulose-based, and therefore hypoallergenic.

Basically, go with a frame style that contrasts with your face shape, and that is scaled to fit your face. If you have a square face, go with an oval or round frame. If you have an oval or round face, go with a rectangular frame. If you have a heart-shaped face, go with a narrow, round, bottom-heavy frame.

Your Rx may be too strong for half-rim or rimless glasses, so full-rim would be your option. Full-rim glasses, especially in the nerd-chic look, are very popular. They are generally more durable than half-rim or rimless frames. Half-rim frames are great for people with slim faces. They show more of your face than full-rim frames, and are more durable than rimless glasses. Rimless glasses are great for people who will treat their glasses delicately, and who want their glasses to be practically invisible on their face.

Call or chat with us within the first 30 days after you've received the glasses. If the frame is defective, we can send you a new one. If you picked a frame that's too big or too small, you can send the glasses back for a partial refund or store credit to reorder a new pair of glasses in the correct size, and we'll explain how to make sure the next frame you get will fit you perfectly.

If you click on the picture of the frame so it enlarges, and it says in the description, "Variable dimension frame," this frame comes in a different size. Otherwise, the frame comes only in the dimensions listed.

Most of our frames come in more than one color. If it does, you will see little horizontal color swatches under the picture of the frame. Click on QUICK VIEW to enlarge the picture of the frame, and move your cursor over the swatch to see the frame in that color.

We do not accept insurance. However, some insurance companies will accept an invoice copy for reimbursement. Check with your insurance company, and if they do, you can request an emailed invoice copy from our Customer Service department.

Just login to your Zenni Optical account and click on Gift Card Status under My Account. Enter the gift card number and click Check. The amount left on the card will be displayed. NOTE: The gift card number will be encrypted for your security.

If you're new to Zenni and received the card as a gift, simply go to Login at the top of the page and create a new account with the email address that was entered as the recipient on the gift card order. Then go to Gift Card Status to see the balance.

PRESCRIPTIONS (RX)

Your Rx is what an ophthalmologist (an MD) or optometrist (a doctor of optometry) provides to correct your vision with a pair of eyeglasses with corrective lenses.

(You need an Rx written specifically for eyeglasses; an Rx for contact lenses will not work for eyeglasses!)

An Rx will have horizontal rows or vertical columns. The top row or first column will always be for the right eye, abbreviated as OD. The second row or column will always be for the left eye, abbreviated as OS.

Each row of an Rx has three main sections: Sphere (SPH), Cylinder (CYL), and AXIS. The SPH section corrects nearsighted or farsighted vision. The CYL and AXIS sections correct an astigmatism.

There may also be a fourth section on the Rx , NV-ADD (for Near Vision-Reading ADDition), which could be used to order a pair of bifocal or progressive glasses with a close-up vision section in the bottom part of the lens.

The SPH, CYL, and NV-ADD numbers will always have a plus or minus sign.

Here is a list of some optical abbreviations that will help you order your glasses from Zenni Optical:

ADD (also NV-ADD): the Near Vision (NV) Reading ADDition correction on a multifocal Rx. Can be used for bifocal or progressive glasses, or for single-vision reading or computer (intermediate) vision glasses.

AR: Anti-Reflective. A coating that reduces reflection on the lenses.

AXIS: the angle at which the Cylinder (CYL) is placed on a lens to correct an astigmatism. It ranges from 1 to 180.

BAL: the Rx calls for balance lenses, meaning the same Rx for each eye. Often used when a person has no sight in one eye, so both lenses will have the same thickness.

BD, BI, BO, BU: a prism correction on your Rx (may be indicated with Δ, and one of these four abbreviations. The B stands for base, and it could be base down (BD), base in (BI), base out (BO), or base up (BU).

CYL: the Cylinder. Combined with the AXIS, the CYL corrects an astigmatism.

DS: the abbreviation for diopter simplex. An eye dr. may write DS on an Rx in the Cylinder (CYL) field if no astigmatism correction is needed.

DV: distance vision.

FT: flat-top bifocal.

NV: near vision.

NV-ADD (also ADD): the Near Vision (NV) Reading ADDition correction on a multifocal Rx. Can be used for bifocal or progressive glasses, or for single-vision reading or computer (intermediate) vision glasses.

OD: Latin for Oculus Dexter, meaning the right eye.

OS: Latin for Oculus Sinister, meaning the left eye.

OU: Latin for Oculus Uterque, meaning each eye.

PAL: Progressive Addition (or Adjustment) Lens: sometimes on a Progressive Rx an eye dr. will write two different numbers for the NV-ADD, perhaps +2.25 and +2.50, to increase the reading power in the NV-ADD for Progressive lenses.

PD (Pupillary Distance): the PD is the measurement of the distance between your pupils. This is needed for the manufacturer of the eyeglasses to know where to place the optical center on each lens, so you can see well with the glasses.

PL: Plano. Latin for "flat." If this is in the SPH section of an Rx, it means no nearsighted or farsighted correction is needed.

RX: a prescription.

SPH: the first section on an Rx. It corrects nearsighted or farsighted vision.

UV: the abbreviation of ultraviolet. UV light is invisible to the human eye, but it is UV light that gives us a sunburn, and too much exposure to it can damage the eye. All of the lenses Zenni Optical offers come with 100 percent UV protection, for free.

VA: Visual acuity: how well the eye can see. Sometimes this may be written on an Rx, with a number such as 20/20. This would indicate that with eyeglasses made to this Rx, the vision would be corrected to 20/20 vision.

It is easy to reconfigure an Rx with an NV-ADD. It just involves a little grade-school arithmetic.

You simply take the NV-ADD number on your Rx and add it to the numbers in your Sphere (SPH) category for each eye. Then lower your distance PD by 3 millimeters if it's the single PD, by 1.5 millimeters for each eye if it's the dual PD. That gives you an Rx for single-vision reading glasses!

You bet you can! Divide the NV-ADD in half. Add one of the halves to your SPHs. Leave the other half in the NV-ADD. This creates computer vision in the top of your lens, and reading vision in the bottom!

Sure! If you order Rx sunglasses, you can get the lens with the index that is recommended for your Rx to keep your lenses nice and light and thin. If you get non-Rx sunglasses, your lenses will be thin.

As long as the frame or the lenses aren't too thick to accommodate clip-ons, you can order clip-ons for any frame. If clip-ons can’t be ordered with a frame, there will be no option in the order form to add them.

SHIPPING

Standard shipping in the U.S. via the U.S. Postal Service is $4.95. The package should be delivered within 2-3 weeks. Express shipping in the U.S., by UPS, is $18.95. A UPS order must be delivered to a physical location, not a P.O. box. It should arrive within a week and a half of the order date. Standard international shipping is $9.95. Delivery times vary by country. We offer international express shipping to Canada only for $15.95. The package should arrive within a week and a half from the order date.

If you order your glasses via express shipping to a physical U.S. address (not a P.O. box), the glasses will be delivered by UPS, and you should receive them within a week and a half. Standard shipping to a U.S. address should take about 2-3 weeks. We offer international express shipping to Canada only, and you should receive your glasses in about a week and a half. International standard shipping could be longer, depending on the country.

Yes! Express shipping in the U.S. is $18.95. The package is delivered by UPS to a physical location (not a P.O. box), and it should arrive within a week and a half of the order date. International express shipping is offered to Canada only, for $15.95. The package can be delivered either to a physical location or a P.O. box, and it should arrive within a week and a half from the order date.

HOW TO'S

LENSES

The numbers you see - 1.50, 1.57, 1.59, 1.61, 1.67, or 1.74 - refer to the index (degree) of refraction the lens provides. This means how much the light that enters the lens is refracted (bent) as it passes through the lens.

The lens that the website recommends in ② select your lens, under the boldfaced words Recommended for your prescription, lens that will be the best option for your RX. If you have a strong Rx, a higher lens index number will give you a thinner lens.

All Zenni Optical eyeglasses come with Anti-Scratch Coating and full UV Protection Coating that are both absolutely free. We also offer Anti-Reflective (also known as Anti-Glare) Coatings, which reduce reflection on the lenses and the glare you see while you are wearing your glasses.

Photochromic lenses are specially treated to turn dark when exposed to UV light. When the lenses are out of the sunlight, they become clear again. We carry the Transitions® brand of photochromic lenses for our 1.50, 1.61, and 1.67 lenses, for both single-vision and progressive glasses.

A Polarized lens is a sunglass lens that greatly reduces the glare from light that is Polarized horizontally, meaning the light reflecting off horizontal surfaces, such as a white sidewalk, a white-sand beach, snow, or sunlight reflecting on water.

Do you want a tint to make your glasses dark sunglasses? Then go with a standard 80 percent tint, or a Polarized 85 or 90 percent tint.

Do you want light sunglasses? Go with a 50 percent tint.

If you just want a light tint, as a fashion statement or for eyestrain, go with a 10 percent tint.

A 10 percent tint, in amber or yellow, reduces eyestrain and is good for activities requiring visual contrast. A 10 percent pink tint is recommended for people sensitive to light, especially people who get migraine headaches.

Yes, you can order as many pairs of glasses you like! Once you put a pair of glasses in Your Cart, click on the gray Continue Shopping button on the left side of the Cart page. Then order the next pair. Repeat until you have all the glasses you want to order. The shipping fee will be the same, no matter how many pairs of glasses are on an order.

Sorry, once an order has been placed you can't add more glasses. If you place another order going to the same address within the next 24 hours, either enter a note in the order stating “Combine shipping with order# XXX” or contact customer service. We’ll combine the two orders, ship them together and refund one shipping fee!

Yes! Log into your account and look up the previous order. If the frame is currently available, you will see the word Reorder next to the order number. Click on Reorder, and the exact same pair of glasses will be in your Cart.

RETURNS

You have thirty (30) days from the date you receive the glasses to call us for a return authorization (RA) number if you want to return them for any reason. If you made a mistake during the order, or you just don’t like the glasses, you can return them for a 50% refund to the credit or debit card or PayPal account, or for a one-time-use 100% store credit. Unused accessories can be returned for a 100% refund. We will replace broken frames at no charge during this 30-day warranty period. Replacement nose pads and screws are offered for the lifetime of the glasses.

If you feel there is a manufacturing error, return the glasses for inspection within the 30-day warranty period. If our inspection shows the glasses were made incorrectly, we will remake them for you at no charge. Defects in the anti-reflective (AR) coating and photochromic films are warrantied for one (1) year from the date of receipt. This warranty does not cover normal wear and tear to the frames, lenses, or coatings.

If you sent them back for inspection, we will inspect them and email you the inspection results. If you sent them back for refund or store credit, we will email you when we have processed the refund or the credit.

You bet! Just call our Customer Service department, have an online chat with us, or email us, identifying your order number and frame model number. We will be happy to send you replacement nose pads at no charge.

We can send you an optical screwdriver tool customized with flathead and Philips head screw settings, and with socket-wrench openings, which can be used to tight the screws and nuts that hold rimless frames together. Call our Customer Service department, have an online chat with us, or email us with your order number, and we will be happy to send you one of these tools. You can also find something similar in any hardware or drugstore.

As part of PCI compliance, no refunds will be issued to any card other than the credit card used on the order. If you don’t have access to the credit card on the order, then the amount of the refund will be issued as a store credit only to the customer account used to place the order.